A day to change everything
by Sillylittleman
Summary: Phil Coulson had hoped to get back to New York quickly after the events of Thor. When a man who is in desperate need of help falls to earth all of Phil's plans change. Please review. I'd love that.


**Loki angst ahoy. Coulson POV.**

**A day to change everything**

Phil Coulson could safely say he would be happy to leave New Mexico, he wasn't often flustered, if ever, but the heat was getting to him. It had been three days since Thor had left but S.H.I.E.L.D, including Coulson, had been forced to stick around as Thor had promised to return. Fury had wanted Coulson to be there when he came back to earth so Coulson had stayed. Thankfully after three days of waiting, Coulson had been granted a reprieve by Fury and had been called back to New York to act as babysitter to Tony Stark. Not that he really minded that particular duty, yes Stark had his flaws but he wasn't the heartless egotistical rude man that people assumed he was. Well maybe he was a little egotistical but he was also a particularly sad individual though Coulson thought he might have been one of the only ones to see this.

No, leaving New Mexico now could only be a good thing in Coulson's opinion and it was with a lightened heart that he started the engine of his rental car to begin the journey home. The drive itself would take him just under a day and a half to complete, and as he wasn't needed in New York desperately urgently he drove at a leisurely pace and enjoyed himself, soft jazz playing on the radio. He had departed late in the day so by the time the sun had completely set he was still on his way to his first stop. He had decided that he would spend the night in Elk City in Oklahoma before beginning his journey again early the next morning. It was very late into the night by the time he was settling himself for bed and though finding a hotel had been relatively simple, it wasn't the nicest of places though it would more than suffice. He got into bed and readied for sleep.

Sleep came easily that night, he was exhausted because no matter what the other lower class of Agent said, only when they thought he couldn't hear, he was not a robot. Sadly the ringing of his phone awakened him far to early from his rest, he looked at the clock by the bed. 3 AM. Something must have happened. He answered the phone to Fury, Phil sighed listening to the news Fury was giving him, it wasn't particularly good, "...needed back in New Mexico?... I'll leave now... Yes sir, I'll be there in a few hours." Their conversation complete Fury hung up, leaving Coulson to do his duty and leave for New Mexico. He was less light hearted as he checked out of the hotel and started his car for the trip back but he was a professional so he just got on with it. What else was he supposed to do?

He checked in with Jasper Sitwell, who had been left in charge of the New Mexico project, and was told that the energy readings that were being picked up were too strange to be natural and it was thought that something big was happening. He chuckled internally at his colleagues choice of words. Everything S.H.I.E.L.D dealt with was big. Nevertheless he drove with a renewed purpose and managed to arrive back in the small town in New Mexico ahead of schedule.

When he arrived everything was in turmoil, Agents were running around and there seemed to be an air of half panic, though true Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D never panicked, and half excitement. He didn't have time to remove his seat belt and get out of the car before Jasper was getting in the other side. The greetings they shared were quick, before Jasper began to informed him of an energy surge that had only just occurred, not the same as the readings that had been picked up when the others had arrived on earth but not entirely different either. It was definitely something and they were duty bound to investigate.

They arrived at the area that the energy had come from, not truly expecting to find a strangely dressed person sat huddled in a crater. The crater this person had made rivalled the one created by the hammer. Not forgetting his years of training, he approached cautiously, slowly moving towards the man down the bank of the walls of the creator. Before he began he had told Jasper to keep the other Agents away, something about the figure in the creator made him think that more that one person trying to get to him would be a bad idea. When Coulson was close enough he addressed the man "I'm Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D, what should I call you?" the man's head shot up at his voice and with large eyes, that were leaking tears down his face, stared at Coulson for a long moment. Suddenly the man bent forwards so his torso fit between his bent legs and seemed to struggle for breath, he then rose quickly and bolted in the opposite direction, away from Coulson. He didn't move very fast leading Coulson to believe that the man was injured or weakened. This was confirmed for Coulson as the man tried and failed to climb the steep embankment of the crater. Still breathing too heavily and too deeply the man turned and faced Coulson, who could see now how then man trembled and that his eyes were dilated in fear. The man pressed himself firmly against the wall and continued to hyperventilate.

Coulson stayed where he was and raised his hands, palms open in a placating gesture. He addressed the man again, "I am Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D, I'm not going to harm you. May I come closer?" The man looked at him and Coulson could see he was trying, and failing, to bring his breathing back under his control. So Coulson just waited, he quietly radioed Jasper making sure that he and the obviously distressed man wouldn't be disturbed until the proper time. He wasn't afraid of the man stood before him, who seemed so lost, he just wanted to help. Helping was in his nature, after all it had been one of the main reasons he had joined S.H.I.E.L.D in the first place.

"Listen to me, I want you to breath in, use your stomach. Yes, there you go. Now hold your breath for a moment. Ok Let it out slowly. Well done. Now again. Breath in. Good. Now hold it. Yes, and slowly let it out. Try and breath normally now."

The man had listened and done as he asked. They repeated the procedure together a number of times before the man finally began to regain control of himself. Coulson continued his litany of praise and encouragement as this seemed relax the man more than anything else.

From there it was an easy job to get the man back to the headquarters that had been built around the hammer and now housed a number of Agents and soldiers. The man allowed himself to be moved easily though he flinched and tensed whenever someone would touch him. He was taken to one of the holding cells, much like the one that had held Mr. Blake, though he supposed calling him Thor, as Jane Foster had called him, would be more appropriate. Though unlike the room that had held Thor, this one contained a bed and a toilet, though the two way mirror that was present in all the holding cells on the facility was also there.

Coulson had taken it upon himself to be in charge of transporting the man to his temporary home, he was unwilling to leave the man just yet. Coulson felt the need to protect him, not that anyone would harm him while he was in S.H.I.E.L.D care. New clothing had been placed on the bed and Coulson knew they would fit, S.H.I.E.L.D were always precise even with the little things. "You can change into these. I'll be back in a while, if you need anything just ask Agent Clarke here" he said gesturing to the man stood by the door. "He'll be just outside so knock on the door if you need him." The man looked at the clothes and then back to Coulson as he began to leave. "Don't go." Coulson had turned and was about to leave having not really expected an answer but the small voice was enough to stop him in his tracks. "Please, don't go".

Coulson dismissed Agent Clarke from the room and turned again to look at the man, "All right, what should I call you?". The man straightened his back and puffed out his chest before relying, "I am Loki Odinson...no." He deflated slightly, "I am just Loki. Of Asgard." This surprised Coulson, Jane Foster had reported that Thor had returned to his home world to fight his brother Loki. Looking at the man before him it was pretty obvious who had won. Coulson didn't think this was a good time to bring it up though, so he just nodded and asked if Loki would like some privacy to change.

It turned out that the armour that Loki was wearing required more than one pair of hands to remove, so Coulson did what he could and helped. So many layers and buckles we undone and removed by the end that Coulson had no idea how Loki actually moved around at all while wearing the stuff. He said as such to Loki, who just laughed slightly and agreed that it was quite uncomfortable in his formal armour. As the layers were removed Coulson could see that Loki was injured, leaving Loki for a moment, he went to the door and asked Agent Clarke to bring a medical kit for him. Loki had shown himself to be uncomfortable at the idea, and the reality, of people touching him but he hadn't seemed to mind as Coulson had helped him out of his armour so to reduce the risk of any further stress being placed on the man sat on the bed behind him, he would tend to the wounds himself.

Loki did mind his injuries being treated, even if it was Coulson doing it, and demanded to be allowed to tend them himself. "No Loki" Coulson couldn't let the man treat himself, Loki's hands shook even now and he would need to stitch a number of the wounds on his chest, back and arms.

He had expected Loki to give up or argue back, what he hadn't expected was for Loki's eyes to go glazed and for him to begin pleading for his father and apologising. Loki's obvious anguish overtook Coulson and he didn't hesitate to reassure the sobbing man that he was fine and that everything would be ok. Coulson took Loki into his arms and held him as he continued to apologise and beg for forgiveness, all the while clutching tightly at the back of Coulson's suit jacket. Coulson held the still trembling man as he eventually calmed, continuing to make little sounds of comfort and trying to reassure the poor man in any way he could until finally the man fell asleep in his arms.

Coulson looked down at the man that he held tightly to his chest, Loki's face was red and there were still tears clinging to his eyelashes. Coulson knew this man wasn't his problem, soon he would have to leave him in the care of other Agents as Coulson himself would need to go and do his job elsewhere but even as he knew these things would happen and that Loki would be well cared for and protected, Coulson felt the need to be there for the man become overwhelming until he came to a decision that may in time change all aspects of his life. He would retire from his role as a S.H.I.E.L.D Agent if he had to but he would stay with Loki and protect him for as long as he needed it. Though at the time he was hard pressed to explain why he felt this.

**As for Loki, I think after his fall from the bridge he would have grasped for any kindness that was shown to him. He has issues surrounding his fall and he's not all that mentally stable following what happened on the bridge, and even before that re: his heritage and the lies surrounding that. He's just gone through a traumatic event, he is insecure about himself, questioning his own identity, and could well possibly have PTSD. I hope that is what came across, I just have too many Loki feelings. Also unbelievable ending is unbelievable. I just didn't know how to finish it. Thanks for reading.**


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